‘Monologues’ Foster Little Debate

A college in Maine tries to open a dialogue on campus concerning the "The Vagina Monologues," but few turn-out to hear the conservative message.

The controversial play was put-on last week, and this week, three more events were held at Bowdoin College concerning violence against women — two by the organizers of the "Monologues" and one by the College Republicans, reports The Bowdoin Orient. However, only a few students came to hear the conservative message.

Monique Stuart, program officer for the Claire Boothe Luce Policy Institute was a guest of the Bowdoin College Republicans on Monday. She gave a speech titled "P-Day vs. V-Day: Using Absurdity to Expose the Absurd."

In her talk, Stuart called "The Vagina Monologues" profane, pornographic, and ineffective of ending violence against women according to the article.

"’Go tell women to be sluts, that’s great,’ Stuart said. ‘There are so many ways to help and do things, and this play is not it. Part of the reason it’s so appealing is the cause. I think there are better ways to go about it. There are so many better ways than chanting the c-word. There are people dying in wars, and you people are worried about what your vagina would wear?’ Stuart asked."

The Bowdoin Orient quotes Alex Krippner who had hoped more people had come to hear Stuart’s side in order to foster discussion and debate.

"I dislike the fact that more people aren’t willing to examine various viewpoints. I think that often, the extremes of each viewpoint too quickly dismiss the other side, and those are the voices that we mostly hear on campus. I wish it were more of a dialogue," says Krippner.

Well put!

The other two events held on campus this week featured a documentary called ‘Until the Violence Stops’, and a film about Japanese "comfort women" during World War II.